To provide care that is responsive to the specific needs of children with life-limiting illnesses and their families/carers, it is important to understand the social, personal and illness experiences that they face and how the principles of palliative care can be applied to support them.
TOPIC 3: Caring for children with life-limiting illnesses will help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide care, across various healthcare settings, to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Case Study: Meet Emily, a 10-year-old girl with congenital hypoplastic left heart syndrome who lives in a rural location with her family. Emily is not suitable for a heart transplant and, as her illness progresses, her GP introduces the concept of palliative care to support Emily and her family. A telehealth consultation is arranged with the metropolitan cardiology and paediatric palliative care teams to plan Emily’s care.
Aims and Objectives:
After completing this focus topic, you should be able to:
- Discuss the key principles associated with caring for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families/carers
- Describe the process of assessment and management of children with a life-limiting illness and their families/carers through an interdisciplinary approach to care
- Identify strategies to facilitate coordination of care for children with a life-limiting illness, their families/carers and their communities.